Monday, February 18, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXXII (Islam)
Throughout history, religious tolerance has never been mankind’s strong suit. Yet, it is difficult to find another example of a religion which, cobbled together from a variety of sources, defines itself from the outset in explicit opposition to its roots. And although at the beginning of Muhammad’s...
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXXI (Islam)
This continues my attempt at formulating an answer to the question of Islam’s intolerance and aggressiveness. As I had suggested in section XXVIII, part of that answer resides in the fact that Arab culture was margina l to the Greco-Roman center of the world. That fact alone was bound to breed...
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXX (Islam)
As we are nearing the end of this undertaking, a few more observations are in order. To begin with, while it would not win a popularity contest, this series has had its readers and, what is more important, its thoughtful commentators, each of them greatly appreciated. But as we went along,...
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Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXIX (Islam), Partial Response to Ciel...
This series of mine, like others before them, has been far too ambitious. I guess I am a slow learner. But it has helped me clarify my own thinking, not least because it has elicited some interesting responses, particularly from lindo, and lately, from Ciel. Two of my posts have been direct replies...
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Saturday, January 26, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXVIII (Islam)...
Those of you who have followed this series from the beginning will know it is an attempt at demonstrating that religion is a ‘natural’ and probably necessary human construct, rather than one of dwelling on the characteristics of any specific religion. It has been my position throughout that the...
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXVII (Islam)...Another partial response to Lindo
This began as a response to my one and only pleasant Muslim interlocutor, whose remarks I appreciate, because they make me think. My response again became too long, so I have turned it into another post, for the few readers who are still with me, LOL. Her comments can be found in the previous post....
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXVI (Islam)...In partial response to Lindo
Lindo, I will here and now acknowledge again, as I have done before, that in the past Muslims have certainly made great contributions to the arts and sciences. But that is not the topic here. I have also acknowledged that, over the millennia, Christians have committed many crimes and atrocities,...
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Thursday, January 3, 2008
Naut on Religion…XXV (Islam)
Almost every sura (verse) of the Koran, with very few exceptions, begins with the words ‘In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.’ But a close reading of the Koran makes it clear that Muhammad as well the other authors [1] had in mind a God who is merciful only to the believer! “As for...
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Monday, December 24, 2007
Naut on Religion…XXIV (Islam)
This part arises out of the beginning of a debate with my one and only thoughtful, articulate and pleasant Muslim critic. It is, in fact, a slightly re-worked response to her comments in my previous post, which can be read there. I hope it helps to clarify what I mean when I speak of a religion’s...
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Naut on Religion…XXIII (Islam)
From a theoretical point of view, what is most interesting about the ‘creation’ of Islam is that we can observe the way in which a new myth, a new overarching way of explaining the world, emerges, and how it necessarily takes into account and is influenced by what already exists. To put it most...
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